We have lived near the development for 14 years or so. We regularly use the paths near the Beult and through the farm for family walks. Part of the beauty of the area is that much of the southern side of the Beult is not regularly visited - this gives wildfowl a chance to nest and rear young. Each year we see swans and signets along this stretch of the river. We feel that the proposal to shift the right of way to a made up nature path within 5m of the riverbank will effectively destroy this habitat.
I also have concern about the disposal of manure from the development. The proposal seems to indicate that 70% (note, the applicant's estimate) of the manure is captured within the sheds and this represents 6 truckloads of manure a week that is removed from the farm. This sounds pretty effective until you turn it around. The remaining 30% of the manure - representing approximately 3 truckloads a week - is deposited on the farm. Going forwards, this would mean that the farm will receive around 150 truckloads of chicken manure per year forever. Once the ground is pecked clean and hammered flat by 196,000 chickens, what will stop this manure being washed into the Beult?
The picture is of the Fridays free range farm that is opposite the entrance to Bedgebury. This is a single barn (of 3 in all) that is approximately 200m long. It was given permission in 2015 (Tunbridge Wells 14/ 502971). This is the level of destruction that has occurred after only a few years of organic egg production. Part of the mitigation of the impact of this development was the planting of 14,000 trees - many of these scrub trees, for shading the birds, can be seen in this image.
Attached are pictures of a small free range farm quite local to Chainhurst taken this week. They have only 200 chickens in a sizeable area, but look at the ground and how it is just disgusting mud, probably full of nitrate and so on. There was also a distinct disgusting odour when the wind direction came our way...
Fridays Ltd., propose
to FARM 200,000 CHICKENS
on Reed Court Farm in Chainhurst...
Just think of the current beauty of the countryside being lost to CHICKEN FARMING. Look at the photos in the gallery to remind you of how beautiful the farm is visually. The public footpaths are there for everyone to enjoy the beauty of the countryside within the farmlands, IT'S THE LAW!.
Think about the possible smell in summer when it is hot, and in winter when rainwater mixes it all up and runs it all off in to the River Beult. What about when it floods and the floodwater washes all the chicken excrement and nitrates etc on to the roads and footpaths and close to our houses. Is this a new health risk to us???